1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera equipped with a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus for reading film information from a magnetic recording layer of a photographic film and writing photographing information in the magnetic recording layer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cameras having a built-in magnetic recording apparatus are described, for example, in International Publications WO 90/04201 and WO 90/04202. In these cameras, film information such as a type of film, film sensitivity, or the like is read from a magnetic recording layer formed on a photographic film and used for photographing, or photographing information is written to the magnetic recording layer. The magnetic recording layer is formed on the base of the photographic film. The thickness of the base of a photographic film is 120 microns or greater which is thicker than that of an ordinary magnetic tape, such as an audio magnetic tape, by about 20 to 30%. Since the photographic film is relatively rigid, it is difficult to obtain good head contact.
In the magnetic recording apparatus described in the above-cited Publications, a magnetic head is mounted on a flexure member to obtain good magnetic head contact with the magnetic recording layer using the elasticity of the flexure member and the rigidity of the photographic film. Alternatively, a pad for receiving a photographing film is mounted facing the magnetic head to obtain good magnetic head contact.
In the case of the magnetic recording apparatus having a magnetic head mounted on the flexure member, it is difficult to obtain good head contact because the head touch changes with the curling of a photographic film. The rigidity of photographic film changes with environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity), and with the type and thickness of the base of the photographic film. Moreover, when the magnetic head is applied to the photographic film with a light pressure by the flexure member, the magnetic head likely will vibrate because of friction with the advancing photographic film, thereby causing poor reliability in data reading and writing. On the other hand, in the case where the magnetic recording apparatus tightly sandwiches a photographic film between a pad and the magnetic head, a large friction is generated with the advancing photographic film so that the load of a film transport motor is relatively large.